Twilight bathed the sandy arena of the forest clearing in a warm gold, casting long shadows from the surrounding wooden stakes.
A.J., the self-proclaimed Beast Tamer, stood at one side of the ring, his fingerless gloves clenched tight, a confident arc curling at the corner of his mouth.
He cracked the whip in his hand with a sharp motion.
A crisp snap resonated through the air.
"I choose you, Sandshrew!"
A Sandshrew, covered in hard brown scales, darted out from the side, moving with impressive speed.
It crouched on all fours, eyes vigilant, its sharp claws unconsciously digging into the sand beneath it, making a soft rustling sound.
As a Ground-type Pokémon, this was its home turf.
"Sand!"
It let out a short, imposing cry.
A.J. crossed his arms, lifting his chin slightly, his tone dripping with unconcealed pride: "Sandshrew is a Ground-type!"
"Your electric attacks are ineffective against us!"
"This is common sense in Pokémon battles!"
"Your Pikachu has zero chance of winning!"
A.J. seemed to have already envisioned the scene of his victory.
In his eyes, the boy before him was about the same age as himself, so he couldn't have debuted much earlier... which meant his Pokémon couldn't be much stronger than his own.
Moreover, the opponent was using a type that A.J. completely countered.
A Ground-type Sandshrew versus an Electric-type Pikachu.
You tell me, how do I lose?
It's impossible to lose, okay?
On Ash's shoulder, Pikachu leaped lightly onto the field, his diminutive body forming a stark contrast to the Sandshrew.
Hearing A.J.'s words, he simply scratched his cheek with a small paw, a flash of slyness passing through his bright black eyes, as if to say: Is that so?
Pikachu possessed the Lightning Rod ability himself; he understood the principles of immunity to electricity all too well.
If one wanted to bypass it, it actually wasn't that difficult.
Ash pressed down on the brim of his hat, the corners of his mouth hooking into a meaningful smile. He didn't refute A.J.'s claim, but simply stated: "Battle start!"
"Sandshrew, Harden!" A.J. ordered first.
This was the precursor to the Rollout tactic.
Almost any Pokémon capable of using Rollout would habitually use Harden first, conditions permitting.
Harden + Rollout.
It could enhance damage to the enemy while reducing damage to oneself.
A metallic sheen flashed across Sandshrew's body; its defense had been boosted.
However, the instant the move took effect—
"Pikachu!" Ash's voice was clear and decisive. "Quick Attack!"
"Pika—!"
Pikachu's figure blurred instantly, transforming into a streak of golden lightning tearing through the twilight, moving at a speed far beyond A.J.'s imagination.
"What?!" A.J.'s pupils constricted; he hadn't anticipated the opponent's speed would be this terrifying.
This Pikachu's strength was just not right.
Sandshrew only saw a blur before a massive impact force slammed ruthlessly into its relatively fragile flank.
"Sand!!" Sandshrew cried out in pain as its entire body was lifted off the ground by the brute force, flung high into the air.
It instantly lost contact with the earth.
"Right now!" Ash's arm slashed down like a sword. "Thunder Shock!"
He gave A.J. and Sandshrew absolutely no chance to react.
What Pikachu excelled at most right now was high-speed tactics.
Seizing the initiative in reality is a very effective method.
Pikachu, already fully charged, unleashed a blinding golden light from his cheek pouches.
"Zzzzzzt—!!!"
A golden current, far thicker and more violent than a standard Thunder Shock, twisted like a thunder snake and struck the airborne, panicked Sandshrew with pinpoint precision.
In truth, Pikachu had held back significantly.
If he had really gone all out... perhaps electric-roasted Sandshrew meat would taste good?
"Sand—shrew—!!!"
A shrill scream echoed through the clearing.
Sandshrew was thoroughly swallowed by the golden lightning.
Its body convulsed violently in mid-air; the hardened scales could not completely insulate against such a powerful current at close range.
Harden increases physical defense.
It does not increase electrical resistance.
The conductivity of its body had not changed.
The smell of scorching filled the air instantly.
The next moment.
Sandshrew, smoking black, fell stiffly from the sky.
It smashed into the sand with a thud, kicking up a cloud of dust. Its eyes had turned into swirls; it had completely lost the ability to battle.
One-shot!
From start to finish, it had taken only a few breaths.
The scene was dead silent.
Misty and Brock both had their mouths slightly open.
Although they had some understanding of Ash and Pikachu's strength, seeing such a clean and efficient one-shot kill was still inevitably shocking.
This Pikachu's power was truly abnormally strong.
The pride and confidence on A.J.'s face froze completely, like a stone carving.
He stared wide-eyed, looking in disbelief at the smoking Sandshrew on the field.
Then he jerked his head up to look at the calm-faced boy across from him and the Pikachu on his shoulder, who looked as if nothing had happened.
"H-How is this possible?!" His voice was distorted by shock. "How could a Ground-type Sandshrew..."
A.J. had never imagined that Sandshrew would be instantly knocked out by a Thunder Shock.
Because Sandshrew was a Ground-type, he knew it feared water.
So he had always done swimming training to improve its resistance to water.
Could it be that in the future, he had to train his Ground-type Sandshrew for lightning resistance too?
That kind of thing makes no sense!
Only then did Ash slowly raise his head, the gaze beneath his hat brim holding the composure of an absolute expert.
He extended his index finger and began to lecture like a professor in a classroom:
"The core principle of 'Ground-type Pokémon being immune to Electric-type moves' lies in their ability to efficiently conduct the incoming current into the ground through contact with the earth."
"Similar to the Lightning Rod ability."
"But there are two prerequisites—"
He paused, looking at A.J., who seemed to have suffered a massive blow.
"First, it must maintain contact with the earth. Once it leaves the ground, this conductive path is severed."
"Second, there is an upper limit to the intensity of the current it can channel underground. If the intensity of the current far exceeds the limit of its channeling capability..."
Ash pointed to the unconscious Sandshrew on the ground.
"The result is as you see."
Pikachu was able to one-shot Sandshrew because he utilized both of these points simultaneously.
Sandshrew's strength was actually quite good among rookie Trainers.
To achieve a one-hit kill was purely a miracle of brute force.
Ash's tone was flat, yet it was like an invisible slap across the pride A.J. had built up over his 'hundred consecutive victories.'
A.J.'s face turned pale, then flushed.
He looked at Sandshrew, unable to battle, and then at Ash, who acted as if he had just done something trivial. His lips trembled, but he couldn't utter a single word of rebuttal.
...He had provoked this battle, so being defeated was what he deserved.
"...I really am far from ready. I need to work harder." A.J. did not slack off because of this blow.
He was a very hardworking, ambitious person with firm willpower.
Ash walked forward, patted A.J. on the shoulder, and revealed a slight smile: "You've raised your Sandshrew very well."
"Among the rookie Trainers I've battled so far, you count as the strongest one."
"It's just a pity you ran into me."
"So, I'll have to trouble you for tonight's lodging and dinner, 'Beast Tamer' A.J."
Ash's gaze swept over the flag emblazoned with '100', and he added pointedly:
"The path of a true powerhouse involves more than just a hundred victories."
"Move forward with me as your goal."
"I will be waiting for you at the Indigo League."
Ash didn't dislike the hardworking and smart Beast Tamer A.J.
"Then it's a promise." A.J. checked his Sandshrew and found it hadn't suffered any serious injuries.
"I will work hard to become stronger, and then challenge you again," A.J. said seriously.
"Tonight, feel free to use this place however you like."
____
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